Tim Roby

Objects of Venerable Decay

The work of Tim Roby draws upon the most quotidian and familiar of objects found in our everyday environment, those so familiar to us that they often go entirely unnoticed. These common materials, often unfinished, are extracted, refashioned and resituated as blunt, poetic emblems in new, unexpected scenarios. While not entirely abstracted, Roby inclines toward a form of minimal, concise expression that suggests a sense of the personal, even to the point of whimsical fantasy, while still remaining grounded in the reality that generated the materials and objects of his work. Intrigue and curiosity are generated in the work through a hybridization of the familiar source and the somewhat ambiguous object. It is not always clear whether the work is evoking humor or pathos as both are in evidence.

For this exhibition, Roby has been invited to utilize the materials from a previously-constructed installation room as the source for his new works, transforming the effectively utilitarian into the effectively poetic. The functional aspect of a previous exhibition is transformed into the functional visual tropes of a new sculptural installation produced specifically for this occasion. On the surface, these new works may appear to describe destruction, but looks remain deceiving and they may also be suggesting something far more effusive and full of promise.